I find hiring to be one of the most challenging things in a business. You need to find people who are reliable, consistent and proactive. Most hiring processes aren’t conducive to this.

For example, I need an admin, so I post an ad on Craigslist or LinkedIn. There are over 100 applications that come in and no easy way to sort through all of them to find the best.

I’ve solved this with a simple four-step program that automates the entire process while keeping the best candidates engaged. You’ll save yourself over 12 hours of reading resumes and only have the best candidates talking with you in person. Here’s a video describing the process:

Step 1: Write great copy

Excellent copy is what will set your job listing apart. When you’re done reading this, go look at a local job board. You’ll see that most of the ads in the admin section look incredibly boring and redundant. It’s not going to be that hard to stand out.

You’ll want to include something in the headline that makes your business sound fun and appealing. I find that this gets me many high-quality applicants. In the video, I explain other tactics I use when writing these listings to get the maximum benefit. Here’s an example:

Thanks for checking out my listing.

If you are the person who fixes something right away or takes action without being asked, then you are what I’m looking for.

Likely you are a recent graduate, or you get satisfaction by helping others. Please keep reading if you are. If not, then :(

The overall work is for a business that I help run, (insert your business name), and our customers.

It is critical that you are extremely reliable and proactive; you have the ability to respond to emails within 24 hours, and you have a positive, no-excuse attitude. Please don’t apply if you don’t meet those requirements.

To start, this will be part-time, but it can easily grow into a full-time position.

Types of job duties:

Responding to customer-support emails

Assisting people who call the office

Managing my schedule

Assisting clients with paperwork

Making jokes

If you are interested, please send me your LinkedIn or Facebook profile. Local candidates only.

Congrats, you made it to the end. What are you waiting for? Email me.

Step 2: The hook

The hook in this system is the Facebook or LinkedIn profile. More than 60 percent of the people who email you will not include their profiles when emailing you. You are looking for someone who is detail-oriented and can follow directions, right? This little test lets you instantly rule out the majority of your applicants before reading any resumes.

If you don’t like asking them to share their social network, you could suggest for them to share their favorite restaurant in town. This question is more neutral and will let you instantly profile all the applicants.

Step 3: The quick question

When people reply with a URL to their Facebook and/or LinkedIn profile, I send them over an automated email instantly. This email asks them a simple question. Here’s an example:

Sweet. You are one of the few people who could follow the direction of emailing me their LinkedIn profile — you’d be surprised.

Now, on to round two.

If a new prospected called in and I needed their data synced across all my devices, how would you do it?

What I’m looking for in their answer is some level of accountability. For example, the best answers will say something like: “I will do it. …” You’re hiring this person to help take work off of your hands. You need them to be accountable. This question has no right answer. You’re just profiling the individual to find out if they take accountability into their hands.

Step 4: The form

Finally, you send the people with the best answers from step three a link to a Google Form, which allows you to ask them traditional interview questions without having to sit through 20 or more interviews.

Google Forms will then put all the answers into a spreadsheet. I suggest hiding the names of the applicants and rating the answers to the questions on a scale from 1-10. You’ll then be able to tabulate the applicants and invite only the best for the live interview.

What do you think?

I hope this helps you during your next hiring process. Typically, the candidates who come through this process want the job more and are eager to talk to you when the actual interview happens.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tyler Zey is the digital marketing director and contributing editor for the Real Estate Digital Marketing blog on easyagentpro.com.